1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a reel unit. More specifically, the present invention relates to a reel unit of a spinning reel capable of reeling out fishing line.
2. Background Information
A conventional spinning reel generally has a reel unit, a handle, and a spool. The reel unit is mounted on a fishing rod. The handle is rotatably attached to the reel unit. The spool is rotatably mounted to the reel unit, and is mounted on the front of a rotor such that it reciprocates on the reel body. Fishing line is wound around the outer circumference of the spool.
The reel unit is made of a rod attachment leg that is mounted on the fishing rod, and reel body that is unitarily formed with the rod attachment leg. A reel body has a body member having an accommodation space therein that opens to the side thereof, and the opening in the body member is covered by a lid member as shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-103897.
The body member or lid member that makes up this reel body are unitarily formed with the rod attachment leg by forming through die and injection-molding a synthetic resin or die-casting an aluminum alloy. Here, the direction in which the die cast products are extracted from the die is the same direction in which the body member and lid member are separated from each other.
In addition, a cover member is mounted on the rear and lower portions of the reel body in order to protect the reel unit. A screw member is used to screw the cover member to a mounting portion formed on the rear and lower portions of the reel unit from the rearward and downward directions. Thus, mounting occurs by means of the screw member of the cover member in a direction that is transverse to the direction in which the body member and the lid member are separated from each other, i.e., a direction transverse to the direction in which the body member and the lid member are extracted from the die. Thus, the mounting portion for the screw member must be processed further after the body member or the lid member are die cast.
In the aforementioned conventional reel units, the mounting portion used to mount the cover member is threaded in order to receive screws after the body member or the lid member is die cast. Thus, the formation of the mounting portion requires time and effort. In addition, it is comparatively difficult to form the screw portion in the body member of the lid member with a high decree of precision, thus increasing manufacturing costs to obtain this feature.
In view of the above, there exists a need for a reel unit for spinning reel that overcomes the above-mentioned problems in the prior art. This invention addresses this need in the prior art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.